Kristie Ebi*

The coming decades will be characterized by multiple, interacting challenges associated with climate variability and change: projected changes in food-, water-, and energy-security are expected to adversely affect human health, ecosystems, and livelihoods. While AMS members are furthering understanding of the magnitude and pattern of these risks, and of the options that could minimize impacts (such as early warning systems), the scale of the challenges means much more needs to be done. AMS has the mandate, expertise, and enthusiastic professionals to develop new insights into science, technology, and applications to protect human and natural systems in a changing climate. As an AMS councilor, I look forward to developing opportunities for AMS to continue to provide the knowledge to improve the world’s condition in the face of dynamic change; doing so would promote the core AMS mission of service for the benefit of society.

Building resilience at local to national scales requites significant advances in multi-disciplinary integration across natural and social sciences. Bridging the gap between natural and human sciences can create the end-to-end understanding needed for adaptation to climate variability and change, including, for example, effective early warning and response systems for extreme weather and climate events. There are significant opportunities for researchers, professionals, educators, students, and others to use weather, water, and climate data across spatial and temporal scales to advance resiliency. AMS has a vital role to play in increasing uptake of these opportunities.

I’ve been fortunate to have spent my career working in interdisciplinary settings, collaborating with experts across meteorology, climatology, social science, ecosystem services, adaptation, and disaster risk management. I will use these experiences to support building stronger coordination across AMS boards and committees, and with external groups, to facilitate knowledge creation in service of society.